FISH LIFE 4a 



assiduously brooding, and driving away minnows 

 and larger fishes, even its own species, which 

 would disturb its ova, pursuing them a few feet, 

 and circling roimd swiftly to its nest again; the 

 minnows, like young sharks, instantly entering the 

 empty nests, meanwhile, and swallowing the 

 spawn, which is attached to the weeds and to the 

 bottom, on the sunny side. The spawn is exposed 

 to so many dangers that a very small proportion 

 can ever become fishes, for beside being the con- 

 stant prey of birds and fishes, a great many nests 

 are made so near the shore, in shallow water, that 

 they are left dry in a few days, as the river goes 

 down. These and the lampreys are the only fishes' 

 nests that I have observed, though the ova of some 

 species may be seen floating on the surface. The 

 sunfish are so careful of their charge that you may 

 stand close by in the water and examine them at 

 your leisure. I have thus stood over them half 

 an hour at a time, and stroked them familiarly 

 without frightening them, suffering them to nibble 

 my fingers harmlessly, and seen them erect their 

 dorsal fins in anger when my hand approached 

 their ova, and have even taken them gently out 

 of the water with my hand ; though this cannot be 

 accomplished by a sudden movement, however 

 dexterous, for instant warning is conveyed to 

 them through their denser element, but only by 

 letting the fingers gradually close about them as 

 they are poised over the palm, and with the 



